


Hocus Pocus

by KelliDiane



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: M/M, Not much to say, based (sort of) on the Disney movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-31
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-31 02:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1026368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KelliDiane/pseuds/KelliDiane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Oh, come on. It's just a bit of Hocus Pocus."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hocus Pocus

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween!

"Come little children, I’ll take thee away; into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time’s come to play; here, in my garden of magic."

Niall stretched his arms languidly as his broom flew high above the town of Salem, Massachusetts. He knew that his song would draw the children from their beds and to the forbidden house of the Sanderson brothers. It was All Hollow’s Eve in the year 1693 and Niall had a feeling that his brothers and he wouldn’t make it through the night.

The village was already on the brothers’ trail. They were accused of being witches and making pacts with the devil himself. The people were scared of them and tried to steer clear of anything pertaining to the three men.

With it being All Hollow’s Eve though, the entire village was on alert.

Niall scanned streets for their prey and he quickly found it.

A small girl roamed the streets in a trance like way. She had long brown hair and chocolate coloured eyes and Niall’s mouth watered at the thought of her life force waiting to be drained.

He sang again. “Come little children, I’ll take thee away; into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time’s come to play; here, in my garden of magic.”

——————

"Zayn! Harry! I’ve got a special guest!" Niall sing-songed as he walked up the steps to their house in the middle of the forest.

The girl in front of him smiled softly at the two men who opened the door.

"Oh, Niall! She’s so small and shy. Hello, darling. There’s no need to be frightened of us. Come in and have a seat. You must be so cold wandering around by yourself at night. It’s a good thing Niall found you." The curly haired man said slowly as he ushered the child inside and into a chair by the fireplace.

"Well done, Niall. She’ll be delicious." Zayn patted his white haired brother on the shoulder before turning back to the giant cauldron in the middle of the room. "Now, let’s see what this potion needs…"

He let his finger run down the page of his spell book until he came to the one he needed. “Ah! Yes! Harry, get me the things as I ask for them.”

A few minutes later and the potion was ready to be used.

"Perfect! Ready to be young and beautiful again, brothers?" He took a small cup and dipped it into the concoction before smiling gleefully. "Do the honours, Niall. You were the one who picked such a fine specimen."

Niall took the cup and walked over towards the little girl. “Here, sweetie. Drink this. It’ll warm you up and take the nasty chill from the outside away.”

The girl gratefully accepted the cup and began to drink hastily.

"No! Aiden! Don’t drink it!"

The three brothers spun around quickly to see a boy in his mid teens standing there.

"What have we here?" Zayn questioned as the boy froze in terror. "An older brother trying to protect his sister? Oh, Paul. You’re too late. Little Aiden has already drank the warm drink. We’d be happy to offer you some as well if you’d like."

Paul’s eyes hardened as saw a blue aura surrounding his sister’s small body. “Witches!” He ran forward and threw his body against the cauldron and knocked it over.

Niall and Harry quickly leaped at the boy and pinned him to the ground.

Zayn cackled before standing over him. “Did you really think you could take on three grown witches? You’re stupider than I give you credit for.”

"Zayn, let’s punish him." Harry tightened his grip on the boy’s wrist and dug his nails into the soft flesh there.

"No! Let’s put him on a hook and let me play with him." Niall smiled and let one of his hands drift down to fiddle with the waistband of the poor boy’s pants.

"Harry’s right, Niall. He must be punished. But how?" He moved across the room to his book. "Let’s see… Eternal death? To anti-climatic. Mark of Satan? Doesn’t last long enough. Ah! Curse of the beast! Perfect!"

Zayn came around and knelt just above the villager’s head. He let his long fingers travel up his face until they came to rest on Paul’s forehead.

"Bestia animo. Bestio bestietta. Bestio anifornum." Zayn closed his eyes and concentrated hard at the spell at hand. "Bestia animo. Bestio bestietta. Bestio anifornum."

Niall and Harry closed their eyes as well and began chanting along with their brother.

"Bestia animo. Bestio bestietta. Bestio anifornum. Bestia animo. Bestio bestietta. Bestio anifornum. Bestia animo. Bestio bestietta. Bestio anifornum."

Paul began to scream loudly as he felt his bones breaking and morphing together to become something new. He could feel himself getting smaller in size and he could feel something ripping through every pore of his skin. His nails grew out and his voice became higher and more animal like.

Suddenly, everything stopped. He was no longer on fire and in any pain. He opened his eyes and was confused at the smile the one brother was giving him.

"Zayn! He’s too adorable! Can we keep him? Please?"

"Sorry, Niall. A witches’ house is no place for a cat."

With that, Paul felt himself being picked up and thrown out the door.

"Zayn! Look! There’s still time!"

The three brothers’ were once again focused on the small girl. They laughed lightly and finished their spell.

——————

"Zayn Sanderson."

"Yes?" Zayn answered as he looked at the man standing below him.

"I will ask you one more time. Where is my son Paul Higgins?"

The three brothers began to laugh. “Not quite sure… Cat’s got my tongue.”

The man signaled for the barrels to be kicked and the three brothers to be hung, but Zayn managed one final spell.

"On All Hallow’s Eve when the moon is round, a virgin will summon us from under the ground!"

The barrels were kicked and the three men choked and gasped for air as their necks were broken and oxygen to their lungs was cut off.

———Present Day———

"Poor Paul Higgins. Neither his father, his mother, nor anyone else ever knew what became of him all those three hundred years ago. So, the Sanderson brothers were hanged by the Salem town folk. Now, there are those who say that on Halloween night, a black cat still guards the old Sanderson house, warning off any who might make the witches come back to life."

Mister Cowell recited from his perch on his desk at the front of the classroom. The history teacher loved Halloween since he got to teach his favourite lesson of the year on that day.

"That’s completely stupid. Anyone who believes that deserves to have their life force sucked out of them by witches." Louis murmured from his seat in the second row.

The bell rang dismissing the students for the day.

"Have a great night, class! And remember to steer clear of the Sanderson house!"

Louis scoffed as he headed towards his locker and bumped into his best friend and neighbor, Liam Payne.

"Louis! You excited for tonight?" Liam smiled brightly.

"Not really. Lottie and Fizz have some party to go to, mum’s part of the town committee that’s throwing the Halloween party in town hall, and Daisy is just going to go trick or treating and that means I have to take her."

It was the same every year. This time though, Lottie and Fizz wouldn’t be joining Louis for the rounds of trick or treating.

"Are you going to take any to Phoebe?" Liam asked quietly.

"What’s the point? She can’t eat it." He sighed heavily. "Can I tell you something? Mum told me not to say anything to the girls, but I need to talk to someone about it."

Liam furrowed his brow in concern. “You can always count on me, Lou.”

Louis took a deep breath. “Mum’s going to let Phoebe go in two weeks.”

"Oh, Louis." Liam wrapped his arms around his friend and pulled him close.

Louis could feel Liam’s shirt getting wet as he cried. “She said that after the accident we basically lost all our health insurance because dad died and she didn’t work. She said we don’t have the money to keep her on the respirator.”

Liam tried his best to console his friend and quiet the sobs that now tore from his throat. “Shhh. Come on, Louis. Let’s get you home. Daisy is probably waiting for you.”

——————

"Louis!" Daisy squealed as her big brother and his best friend walked inside their house.

The brunette boy smiled as best he could and hoped it was enough to placate his sister. “Are you already dressed for trick or treating or do you always look like that?”

She gasped and pouted. “That’s not funny.”

He laughed and gave her eskimo kisses. “I know. I know. Give me an hour to shower and change and we’ll head out, okay?”

"Deal." She bounded away towards the living room and the sound of Disney Channel could be heard from where the boys stood.

"Wanna come with us tonight? It’s gotta be better than sitting home alone." Louis asked Liam as the boys headed towards the kitchen looking for food.

Grabbing a banana, Liam shrugged. “Sure. Ruth and Nicola are off at college and mum and dad will be at the party with your mum and you’ll be busy with Daisy. What else would I do?”

Louis chuckled. “Call Andy? Or Sandy, or Josh, or Dan, or Jon-.”

"I get it! I get it." Liam rolled his eyes. "But you’re my best mate, man. And Daisy deserves all the attention in the world. She’s has to be lonely now that Phoebe isn’t always around."

Louis bit his lip and nodded slowly. “True… Okay. I need to shower and get ready. Be over here in an hour then?”

"Of course. Don’t dress up as anything too scary, Lou."

——————

"Trick or treat!" Daisy yelled as the door to the house flew open.

"Oh my! What a scary young witch you are!" The elder woman exclaimed in mock fright.

Daisy, being the eight year old she was, began immediately apologising. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you! It’s just a costume, I promise!”

The woman laughed. “It’s alright, dearie. Very lovely costume. Here’s some candy for you and a little extra for your manners.”

Daisy smiled and thanked the woman before skipping down the steps back to her big brother and Liam. “I got four Reese Cups!”

Louis furrowed his brow. “Four? Since when did people hand out loads of candy?”

"She said that I got extra pieces because of my manners." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"She obviously doesn’t know you that well." Louis joked and grabbed Daisy’s hand and led her to the next house.

For the next two hours, the trio had managed to hit up most of the houses in the area and decided that since it was only seven, they’d take the scenic route back to the Tomlinson residence.

Big mistake.

——————

"Whoa. Louis, I think we’re a little lost." Liam whispered as they stood at the bottom of the stairs that led into the old Sanderson house.

"Lou-Lou. I’m scared. Can we please go home?" Daisy begged as she pulled on the sleeve of his jacket.

Louis bit his lip. “I mean, we’re here now. Shouldn’t we at least take a look around? Debunk all those myths people have about this place?” He started up the steps to the door.

As they walked in, a wall of darkness hit them.

"Mum said that they turned it into a museum in the fifties so there should be a lightswitch around here somewhere." Liam said as he began searching the dark wall for the switch. Finally finding it, he flipped it on and let the warm glow of light calm him slightly.

"Whoa."

The room looked exactly the same as it did three hundred years prior (not that the three standing there now knew that). A book lay on the floor just beside a pile of clothes that looked to be about three hundred years old from the style alone.

Liam knelt down and ran a finger over the cover of the book. “Zayn Sanderson’s spell book. It was supposedly given to him by the devil himself and it is bound in human skin. It holds the recipes and incantations for his most evil and powerful spells.”

"This must be Paul Higgins’ clothes then. He was their final victim before they were hanged for practicing witchcraft." Louis said as he fingered the cuff of the old material.

Daisy whimpered. “Okay. You’ve seen it. Can we please go home now?”

Louis looked up to answer her when his eyes became fixated on a portrait behind her on the wall.

The boy in the portrait was stunning. The artist took great care in trying to capture the essence of the subject in just a moment. The way his blond hair curled behind his ears and fell across the forehead of his smooth alabaster skin and the strands were all a different shade of gold that seemed too reflective of the sun itself. The small smile that tugged at the corners of his small rose petal lips, as pink as those on a porcelain doll, captured his innocence and made it shine bright even all these years later. His cheeks were as bright and flushed as a rose in the early spring. It almost seemed indecent as to how flushed the boy was.

What really captivated Louis though were the eyes.

The eyes were a shade of blue and not even Crayola could make (and they make a shit ton of colours). Eyes so blue only the sky could compete and that was barely even a competition when one thought about the deep swirling pools of blue mixed with flecks of gold that bore into one’s soul.

"Louis? Louis, you okay?" Liam’s voice shook him from his intense staring at the painting.

"Who is that? In that painting, the boy. Who is that?" Louis asked.

Liam looked over as the portrait. “That’s Niall Sanderson. According to legend, he was a Gathering Witch. He was the brother that would go and find the ingredients and dry them if needed. He didn’t really have many powers, but as a Gatherer, he was gifted with the power to control a person with his voice. It’s said that on nights when children would disappear for good, an angelic voice could be heard singing throughout the sky always singing the same song.”

Daisy bit her lip. “What song? Do I know it?”

Liam smiled reassuringly. “I doubt it. The Salem town folk forbade the children from singing it after the death of the witches. They thought that the song might conjure Niall back from the grave and he, in turn, would bring his brothers back.”

"So we don’t know the words at all?" Daisy pouted.

Liam chuckled. “I said they weren’t allowed to sing it. Doesn’t mean they didn’t write it down. It went something like: Come little children, I’ll take thee away; into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time’s come to play; here, in my garden of magic.”

"That’s really creepy."

"What’s this?" Louis called from across the room.

Liam swallowed nervously. “That’s the black flame candle. Legend says it was made from the fat of a hangman. It also says that on a full moon it will raise spirits from the dead when lit by a virgin on Halloween night.”

Louis laughed loudly. “Really? That’s just shit. Come on. Let’s test this out.” He patted around his pockets for a lighter and quickly produces one from his jeans.

"Louis! No! I wanna go home!" Daisy cowered behind Liam’s leg.

The older boy scoffed. “Come on, Daisy. Grow up. It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus.”

With that, he sparked the lighter and lit the candle. At first, nothing happened. It seemed like a perfectly normal candle.

"Told you."

As soon as he said it, the flame quickly changed colour to dark black.

"What the-?"

Louis didn’t get a chance to finish before the entire house was shaking violently and bursts of green light shot up from the floor. The candles around the room sparked and ignited themselves and a roaring fire lit up the fireplace. Cackling could be heard coming from every direction and three turned and looked in terror for the source of the laughter.

It all just stopped suddenly and left the three standing in a candle lit room by themselves. Louis took a deep breath to try and calm his fast beating heart. “Well that was anti-climatic.”

The door to the house burst open and the three dove for cover.

"Finally! We’re back!"

Louis peeked around the wall he had hidden behind and nearly fainted in fear. There in the doorway stood the Sanderson brothers- Zayn, Harry, and Niall.

"Zayn! Look! Everything is exactly the way we left it!" The curly haired brother (Louis could only assume it was Harry since he was speaking to the other and Niall was the blond) squealed in excitement.

"Perfect. We shall continue where we left off then. We just need a child…" Zayn mused to himself. "Niall!"

The blond seemed to snap from whatever musing he had been in and looked over to his brother. “Yes?”

"It’s time to fly."

Blue eyes grew wide and a smile quickly took over his face as he headed for the room in which Louis was hiding.

Louis tried to hide himself deeper in the shadows, but knocked over a broom in the process.

Zayn’s attention zeroed in on the sound. “Someone’s here.”

The three stopped everything they were doing and listened again. Louis stopped breathing in his attempt to not make a sound.

"Harry. Get them."

The curly haired boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “There’s three of them. I can hear their hearts beating. A child… seven, maybe eight, years old… Two older… Late teens, early twenties maybe. Definitely male… The child is a girl…”

A small whimper was heard and Zayn turned his head towards the sound. He made his way to the source and quickly found a small young girl cowering behind a table. He smiled. “Come out here, child. We won’t hurt you. It’s bitterly cold outside. Come, sit by the fire and let us make you something warm to drink. Niall can even sing you a lullaby.”

Daisy screamed. “No! I don’t want to! I want to go home! Louis!”

With that, Louis ran from his hiding spot. Witches be damned, he was going to protect his sister.

Harry yelped. “A boy! Niall!”

The blond turned and locked eyes with the intruder. They both stopped and continued to stare at one another for what seemed like hours (in reality, it was only about ten seconds) before Zayn’s voice broke the trance.

"Another one! Harry! Get him! Get him!"

Liam darted around the older male and tackled Zayn to the ground. “Run, Daisy!”

Without needing to be told twice, the girl jumped from her hiding place and ran outside and hid in the bushes near the road.

Niall quickly shook his head to clear it and quickly launched himself at the brunette boy in front of him. He managed to tackle the stranger to the ground, but once again was distracted by his eyes. “Who are you?”

Louis unconsciously licked his lips and stared back into the pools of blue that had captivated him. They were exactly like the ones in the painting. “I’m Louis… You’re eyes are beautiful.”

A small blush appeared across the witch’s face and he opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Damn you!"

Niall quickly turned his head to see the other boy running from the house and Zayn falling backwards onto one of the many tables around the room. He leaned in and licked at Louis neck before whispering. “Run from here.”

With that, the blond rolled them over so that the boy was now on top and able to escape.

Louis quickly jumped up and began running for the door. He wasn’t watching where he was going and ended up tripping on the spell book. He fell and landed hard on the wood and noticed a black cat in the corner of the room.

"Grab the book and run!"

Louis had no clue where the voice came from, but he did as he was told and grabbed the book he had tripped over and ran from the house to catch up with Liam and Daisy.

——————

"Way to bring back the greatest evil the town of Salem has ever faced, you stupid boy."

Louis sighed heavily. “I get it, Liam! It was a dumb thing to do. Now stop yelling at me!”

"Uhhhh… Louis? I didn’t say anything." Liam furrowed his brow. He had heard the voice, but the only other person nearby was Daisy and she definitely didn’t sound like that.

"It wasn’t your friend, you oaf! It was me!"

Louis and Liam exchanged a look before looking around to spot the fourth party.

"Down here!"

Daisy looked at the road to see a black cat sitting in front of them. “Guys… I think this cat is talking to us.”

"Of course I’m talking to you! I don’t talk to just anyone, mind you."

Louis yelled in surprise. “What the hell? First three dead witches come back to life, and now we have a black cat that talks!”

"Well I’m sorry to disturb your life, but some of us would like to the witches back in the ground."

Liam stared down at the cat. “You’re Paul Higgins aren’t you?”

"At your service, sir."

Daisy giggled and stooped down to pet the stray. “You’re so cuddly!”

"Oh! Oh! Yes! Right between the ears. That’s the spot."

Louis looked over at Liam and raised a brow. “So what do we do now?”

"We have to stop them, Lou." Liam said softly.

"They want to suck the life out of every child in Salem. It keeps them young and it also keeps them alive. Without children, there would be no Sanderson brothers."

——————

"Niall! You worthless witch! You let him get away!" Zayn yelled as he threw a vial across the room and narrowly avoided Niall’s head.

"Me! What about Harry? He let the other boy get away!" Niall pointed at the curly haired boy who was staring into a mirror as he examined the bruise under his left eye.

"Idiots! You both are my curse to bare." Zayn rubbed his temples harshly as he thought about the next step in the plan. "We’re going to find those three brats, get my book back, and then suck the lives out of all the children in Salem."

Harry looked away from his reflection. “Can’t we do it tomorrow? I could really use a nap right about now.”

Zayn glared. “You just woke up from a three hundred year nap and all you can think about is sleep? Besides, the spell only works till daybreak. The second the sun comes up, POOF! We turn to dust.”

Niall gasped. “Poof?”

"Poof." Zayn nodded. "Now, let’s get up off our asses and get flying."

Harry and Niall scrambled up into the adjacent room to grab their brooms and Zayn’s.

"I missed you, Mary." Harry said as he hugged his broom tightly.

Niall chuckled. “I never understood how you could ride her. She’s so old that the wood is chipping. That’s got to hurt. That’s why I always sanded Sarah down as she started to get rough.”

Zayn scoffed. “Both of you are ridiculous. Winifred is the best broom out of all three of them. Now, can we please take to the sky?”

Niall nodded quickly and was the first to bolt out the door and onto his broom. He rode like a woman, side-saddle, and his brother’s always seemed to enjoy tearing the mickey out of him for it, but it was comfortable for him.

"Come you two!" He yelled back into the house before taking off into the night sky.

——————

"Come quickly! In here!"

Liam, Louis, and Daisy followed their new guide through the streets of Salem to the gates of a cemetery.

"Hold on. We can’t go in there. It’s trespassing." Liam objected as Louis started to push open the metal gate.

"It’s hallow ground. The witches can’t set foot here. It’s the only safe place."

Louis looked over at Liam and shrugged. “I’m sure the dead won’t mind a few visitors for a couple of hours until we make a plan.”

The three walked inside the graveyard and instantly felt a chill run down their spines.

"Quickly! Close the gate!"

Daisy, being the last one in, slammed the gate shut tightly.

"Good. Now the spirits can’t escape."

"What are you talking about, Paul?" Louis groaned. Witches? Spirits? Talking cats? This night was getting more and more complicated.

"It’s All Hallow’s Eve. The day in which the spirits are free to roam the earth and find their loved ones. Humans started realising that without gates around the dead, the spirits were free to roam the streets as they pleased. So, they barred them in and that’s why cemeteries are not supposed to be visited on Halloween night."

They wandered farther into the graveyard and found markers dating back to the 1600s.

"Come here. I want you to see this."

Louis grabbed Daisy’s hand and helped her walk along the uneven ground to where Paul had gone.

“'Nickolas Grimshaw. Born 1623, died 1668. Secrets shall go to the grave.'" Liam read from the headstone. "What’s so important about this grave? It’s just another colonist burial site."

"It’s more than that. This was Zayn’s lover. He caught him cheating on him with his brother Harry though. To punish him, he beheaded Nickolas and sowed his mouth shut so that he couldn’t spill Zayn’s secrets… Even in death. Zayn always was the jealous type.”

Louis is staring around the graveyard trying to piece together everything from the last hour. “So everything we’ve ever been told about witchcraft and the Sanderson brothers is true? That would have been nice to know a long time ago.”

——————

Zayn, Niall, and Harry hid in the bushes outside of their home and watched as two men searched for something. Harry shivers, “Who- who are they, Zayn?”

“Witch hunters, obviously. They carry metal ropes to bind us and wear uniforms proclaiming their allegiance to the town of Salem.” Zayn whispers harshly to his brothers. “We must avoid them at all costs. We can’t be caught before dawn. Do you hear me, brothers?”

The two nod and look over the men. Niall purrs. “Are we sure they are witch hunters, Zaynie? They look delectable and I for one would certainly love to play with one of them.”

Zayn slaps at Niall’s face and glares. “Let me remind you that we have no time for distractions such as these specimens. The spell works only until the first light of day. Fortunately, the potion from the night we were hung will keep us alive and young looking forever.” The caramel coloured eyes quickly turn dark. “And those wretched little brats stole my book!”

Niall takes in a deep breath and catches the scent of the boy he marked in their home. He does not wish to see him harmed, but if it means keeping Niall alive long enough to enjoy the taste of the boy he’ll play along with Zayn for now. “Brother… I may know where they are. Before they managed to escape, I marked one of them so I can now track him. Shall we find them and get the book back?”

Zayn smiles and starts cackling. “Maybe you aren’t so worthless after all, Niall. We find the book, brew the potion, and suck the lives out of the three of those meddlesome little whores.”

Niall sighs. Hopefully he’d get to play with his food for a little bit first.

——————

“Because of me my little brother’s life was stolen. For years I waited for my life to end so I could be reunited with my family. But Zayn’s curse of immortality kept me alive. Then one day I figured out what to do with my eternal life. Now, I’d failed Aiden, but I wouldn’t fail again. When Zayn and his brothers returned, I’d be there to stop them. So for three centuries I’ve guarded the house on All Hallows Night, when I knew some airhead virgin might light that candle.”

Daisy chuckles. “Way to go, virgin.”

Louis huffs and crosses his arms over his chest. “I’m sorry. How many times do I have to say it? I don’t… Didn’t believe in this witchcraft bull. But, come. It’s three ancient men versus the twentieth century? How bad could it get? They’ll be horribly confused and they won’t understand anything.”

Paul hisses. “You don’t understand anything do you? The world around them may change, but everything can be taken to a basic function. The plants are their friends if Niall wishes it, the animals are their spies if Harry commands them, every part of nature bows to Zayn himself if he proclaims his reign. These aren’t just witches you’re dealing with, they are Mother Earth’s nightmare.”

Liam rolls his eyes and starts to flip through the spell book as he waits for something useful to do. “Well, while that’s great and all, is there a way to cure dying people with any of these spells?”

Paul leaps from his perch on a gravestone and lands on the book and quickly swipes a paw to try and close the book. “Keep this closed! Are you mad? The book craves to be with its master- with Zayn. Opening it will send out a call and draw the witches-“

“Right to you? Oh, Paul, you’ve been reading up! I’m so glad that we turned you into a pussy all those years ago.” Zayn cackles as he straddles his broom. His eyes lock on Louis and he’s all smiles. “Young virgin who lit the candle, hand us our book and no harm shall come to you.”

Louis frowns and looks to Liam and Daisy. “What about my friend and sister? Do you swear not to hurt them?”

Zayn’s smile turns sadistic. “Of course we shall not harm them! They are precious to thee and therefore precious to me.”

The brunet turns to his friend and reaches out for the book. “Give me the book, Liam. If I can get us out of this mess safely, then I’m all for it. No one has to get hurt tonight.”

Niall’s eyes dart back and forth between Zayn and Louis. He can clearly see the arrow hidden in the hand behind Zayn’s back and he can see the complete trust in Louis’ eyes. “It’s a trap! Don’t fall for it, Louis!”

Louis yanks the book back from where it had been, centimetres from Zayn’s hand. “Liar! I don’t make deals with liars.”

Paul hisses again and scratches at Zayn’s face.

“Oh! You wicked mangy feline! Thou hast waited in vain! And thou will fail to save thy friends, just as thou failed to save thy brother!” Zayn shouts and fires green lightening from his fingertips at the cat.

Louis pushes Daisy under some foliage to hide her and quickly turns back to face the three hovering witches. “They can’t touch us here, right?”

“Well, they can’t”

“Why don’t I like the way you said that?” Louis says with a small groan.

“Unfaithful lover long since dead, deep asleep in thy wormy bed, wiggle thy toes, open thine eyes, twist thy fingers toward the sky. Life is sweet. Be not too shy. On thy feet, so sayeth I!” Zayn screams towards the sky as a crack of lightning strikes the grave of Nickolas Grimshaw.

A hand shoots through the ground and claws at the air before hastily digging itself up and there stands Nickolas Grimshaw. He stares lifelessly up Zayn before his eyes land on Harry and a spark of life flashes through them.

The curly haired witch blushes and waves feebly from his broom. “Hello, Nickolas.”

Zayn growls and slaps at Harry’s face. “Now is not the time for a lover’s reunion. Nickolas, get those brats and bring me my book and I shall reward you graciously.”

He stares up at Zayn before moaning out behind his stitched up mouth and shrugging and heading off after the three and the cat that long since bolted.

——————-

“Paul? Where are we?” Liam asks quietly as a pungent odor assaults their noses.

“The old Salem Crypt. It connects to the sewers for the city.”

“Lovely,” Louis mutters as he tries to hold his breath as best he can. The sight of a skeleton arm hanging from the ceiling makes him stop short. “Daisy, whatever you do, don’t look up.”

The girl whimpers, but nods. “Okay.”

Louis smiles despite himself and pets at her hair. “When we get home, I’m going to go and buy you the biggest bag of candy I can find. Sound fair?”

——————

Zayn is making them land on the ground outside the cemetery and is quick to lash against Niall. “How dare you! I should throw you to the hallowed ground myself! What are you thinking alerting him to the danger like that?” He grabs Niall by the snowy white hair and shoves him hard against the brick wall, face first.

Niall whimpers and falls to the ground disoriented when Zayn lets go of his hair. “Zayn, I beg of you not to harm him. There is something about him… I don’t know what yet, but something about him draws me close.”

Zayn smacks him once more. “Scent them out. I will not have my plans ruined by the likes of you.”

Harry watches as his brother beats the other. Sometimes he wonders if Zayn really loves them the way he says he does.

——————

Nickolas stumbles out of the other side of the gated cemetery. He watches as cars fly by and he moans in terror. He hurries as best he can down the sidewalk, a plethora of kids yanking on his trousers and complimenting his look.

“Wow! That looks so real! Where did you get your costume?” One boy asks him shyly.

Nick looks about, spotting a sharp object nearby and grasping it tightly. He brings it to his mouth and cuts at the binding sowing his mouth shut. He ends up couching up a few leaves and a handful of dirt. “It’s not a costume. I’ve been dead for years, kid.”

The boy chuckles and grabs his hand. “Sure thing, Mister. Come on! I want my friend’s to see your costume!”

——————

Louis and the gang manage to climb from the sewers. They reek something fierce, but luckily nothing clings to them. “Can witches enter hospitals? What about churches?”

Paul skitters along beside them. “Hospitals? Yes. That place is crawling with witches. Luckily, it’s all good magic, but even dark witches can set foot there. Churches? No. It is more hallowed ground, but we can’t hide there either.”

Liam groans. “Why not? Because that would be too easy?”

“Because you all are carrying great evil. The book could never make it past the entrance and now that you have been touched by its entity, you can no longer pass though their doors either.”

“So much for becoming a pastor.” Louis mutters sarcastically.

“So what do we do now?” Daisy asks quietly.

Louis thinks for a moment. “There has to be something we can do. What about just hiding out at the hospital? It’s a big enough place and we can always run if we need to. Besides, I know a special little girl that we need to visit tonight anyway.”

——————

“Since we can’t find them quite yet, we’ll get the potion ready. I want to just make them drink it and be done with them for good.” Zayn says as he angrily slams the front door to their old house open.

“But, Zaynie, they still have the book,” Harry says cautiously.

The older male glowers at the green eyed boy. “I know. That’s why we’re doing a memory spell.” He grabs Niall by the hair and throws him down into the chair where their last victim sat. He yanks the boy’s head back and holds him in place. “Harry, will you do the honours?”

The younger brother looks to the blond and smiles in sympathy before digging his fingers into his throat. “Verba, auribus exaudisti, iterum lingua.”

Niall screams as the spell is literally ripped from his memory and vocal chords. “Spiritum vitae, vitae finis. Salvum me fac iterum.”

Zayn smiles devilishly. “Perfect. Harry, start the potion.”

Harry nods and scurries around trying to get the ingredients just right for the brew. It’s been three hundred years, but it’s the last thing he had done before sleeping for so long. He looks to Niall, staring at the healing wounds on his neck. “I’m sorry, Ni.”

The blond looks at Harry and smiles softly. “It’s fine. You had no choice.” He looks around, ensuring that Zayn is in the other room. “We have to stop helping him, Harry. He’s going to kill them and us. He doesn’t care anymore.”

“I know, but he’s family. I always help family. It’s in my blood.” Harry says just as quietly. “Since you marked the boy, you should be able to get a connection with him. Warn him that Zayn is going mad with the separation from the book. They need to get to a safe place where Zayn cannot enter.”

Niall thinks and nods before closing his eyes and reaching out with his mind.

——————

Louis has no clue where he is. It’s dark and not where he was two seconds ago. It’s dark and empty and he wonders if the witches had finally finished him without his knowing.

“Louis…”

The brunet looks around to find that the only other object present in the void is Niall. He steps forward towards the lad until running into an invisible wall of sorts. “Niall! What’s going on? Where are we?”

The blond smiles lightly and reaches up to rest his hand against the barrier between them. “We’re in your mind. I know it was wrong to breach your consciousness like this, but I had to speak with you. Zayn’s magic may create this wall, but he can’t hear what we are saying or anything.”

Louis nods and presses his palm to where Niall’s rests and he can just faintly make out the sensation of their palms being pressed against each other’s. “What’s wrong?”

“He’s crazy. He’s doing everything in his power to find you. Once he does… He’ll kill you and everyone around you to get that book. You have to destroy it immediately.” Niall urges.

“How? It’s impervious to everything!” Louis says with a dramatic sigh.

The blond looks to the ground. “There’s a spell in the back. If you can cast it, the book will be gone for good. The only problem is that you’ll pay a heavy price for using the dark magic. You’ll always feel a pressure right above your heart and it’ll weigh you down forever.”

Louis looks nearly scandalised. “I can’t do that! Niall, why would you even think about asking me to do that?”

“That’s the only way. I thought maybe you’d be okay if you were sending the book away, but I guess not. I’ll do it, but I need to ensure that Zayn and Harry will be gone before I can destroy it.” Niall says quietly looking at the ground. “The only way to ensure that is to wait until daybreak once they have disappeared- except at dawn’s first light… I’ll disappear as well.”

The brunet looks down at the ground for a moment. Niall is different, why does he pay the same price as his brothers? “I’ll look through the book. There has to be a way to save you.”

Niall smiles sadly at the blue eyed boy. “There’s only one way to keep me alive, Louis, and I’m not sure you’d like it very much.”

“No… I have an idea. Come to the hospital. I have an idea.” Louis smiles and leans forward to press his lips to the barrier between them and blushes lightly. “I’m going to save you, Niall.”

——————

Ni

——————

Louis, Daisy, and Liam are seated around Phoebe’s bed. Paul is hidden inside of Daisy’s witch hat and he’s being quiet so as not to be caught.

The older male stares down at his sister. “I can’t believe that she’s…”

“I know. It’ll be okay.” Liam says softly and envelops his friend into a giant hug.

The lights in the hall begin to flicker and soon enough the entire hall is out. The emergency generator is quick to kick in, but the place now seems devoid of human life.

Paul crawls out of his hiding spot. “Quick! Hide the book!”

Zayn appears in the doorway, cackling and calling for the book. “Give me my spells and I promise your death will be quick and painless.”

Liam moves in front of the two little girls as Louis protects the book. “If you want it, come get it.”

Zayn rolls his eyes and steps forward towards Louis, calling for the book once more. “Book, darling, come to me. I’ve missed you so much, my love.”

The book starts to try and free itself from Louis’ grasp.

Paul jumps onto Zayn’s head, distracting him. “Run!”

The three run from the room and down the hall, making their way through the hospital until they’re sufficiently lost. “Well, if we don’t know where we are, they won’t know where we are.”

All that can be heard is their heaving breathing until a sweet voice is lilting towards their ears.

"Come little children, I’ll take thee away; into a land of enchantment. Come little children, the time’s come to play; here, in my garden of magic."

“Cover your ears!” Liam and Daisy are quick to protect themselves, but Louis merely stares towards the voice.

Niall rounds the corner, alone and unarmed. “Louis? It’s me. I have no intentions of harming you. I just want to see you.” The blond connects eyes with Louis and smiles brightly. “I thought of brother would kill you.”

Louis smiles as he steps forward to embrace Niall. “You have to help us. You’re the only one who knows his weaknesses. Niall, he’s evil. You have to see that. Don’t you wonder why killing an innocent keeps him alive? Because he’s evil and that’s immoral.”

“I know. But, Louis, I’m the same. I have to have a pure child’s life force to sustain my own string of fate. Without it, at dawn’s first light, I’ll disintegrate into dust and cease to exist.” Niall says as he grasps Louis’ face with his hands.

Louis thinks long and hard about any possible way to keep Niall with him. “Do you have any of the potion to keep you here?”

The blond nods in affirmation.

“Then I have an idea.”

——————

Twenty minutes later, they’re all aware of the plan and sitting back in Phoebe’s room with a syringe full of the potion. “It’ll take less than a minute for her body to be potent and with the potion.”

Louis looks out the window of the hospital room and smiles. “Perfect. Inject the potion into Phoebe in five minutes and as soon as she’s… Potent, drink her life force.”

“That my twin! You can’t do that!” Daisy shrieks with tears pouring her face.

Louis looks to the tiled floor before grabbing Daisy’s shoulders and making her look at him. “Look, Daisy, mum didn’t want me to tell you this, but we have to let Phoebe go. We can’t afford to keep the machines running anymore and either way, she’s going to die. If we do it this way, someone gets a life out of the misery.”

“Yeah, but he’s an evil witch.” Daisy hisses as she glares over at Niall.

“But we’re going to help him. As soon as tonight is over and Zayn and Harry are gone for good, we’re going to destroy the book. It’ll be the last spell Niall ever casts.” Louis promises as he looks up to Niall. “Now, can we inject Phoebe with the potion to give Niall another chance?”

“Oh, please. I do insist.” Zayn says from the doorway.

Liam looks at the clock on the wall and realises they’re two minutes behind. “Niall! Now!”

Niall fumbles with the fancy technology before managing to stick the needle into the girl and inject the potion. He watches as a faint glow starts to surround her. “It’s working!”

Zayn cackles. “Perfect! Now step aside and let me drink.”

“Not quite.” Liam says from where he’s standing by the closed blinds. “It’s sunrise.” He flips the blinds open and bright light fills the room.

Harry and Zayn shrink back as the light starts to burn them. Niall scrambles to Daisy’s bedside and kisses her forehead, drinking in her life force.

“Curse you, Niall!” Zayn shouts before him and Harry both burst into dust and disappear.

Niall leans back from the now lifeless body and looks up to Louis. “It worked. I’m still here.”

A nurse runs in quickly and starts trying to bring the little girl back.

——————

Two hours later, they’re all in the waiting room grieving over Phoebe. Louis mum is holding to Daisy tightly and petting her hair and telling her that she’s sorry. Liam has Lottie and Fizzy wrapped up in his arms and holding them as they sob into his shirt. Louis is in Niall’s arms, not really feeling anything.

He’s not sure how to feel. He’s the one that basically killed his sister to keep Niall here and alive so they could be together. He tries to rationalise that Phoebe would be gone either way, but that doesn’t help at all. Eventually, he can’t take it anymore. “We should go destroy the book. I’ll focus on my loss later.”

Niall nods and leads the brunet from the hospital waiting room all the way back to the Sanderson brother’s house. He looks at the painting of himself and smiles. “I always did love that painting. The artist was Zayn himself. He was always so good with a brush. I tried to convince him that painting was his true calling.”

He lights a small fire and opens the book to the last spell he’ll ever cast- a portal spell. “This should send it back to where Zayn got it from.”

Louis swallows the lump in his throat as he reads the spell over Niall’s shoulder. “Then let’s do it. I want to just be with you without having to worry about this stupid book.”

The blond nods and takes a deep breath. “Scriptorium aperti, ponte iunctus regna, mitte mihi nuntium vestrum praemium languidis.”

The fireplace swirls and a screeching can be heard before a tall, hooded, black figure steps from the flames and reaches out for Niall.

The blond closes the book and hands it to the figure. “A tergo viator.”

The figure retreats and the fireplace extinguishes itself behind him.

Niall smiles and looks to Louis. “It’s done.”

The brunet embraces the boy and presses their lips together. “Thank you-for everything. We would never have gotten out of that mess without you.”

“It’s nothing special. Just a bunch of hocus pocus.” Niall says with a smile as he presses their lips together once more.


End file.
